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Music Guide: Find Manuscripts and Early Editions
Finding Music Manuscripts
Online Resources
- Oxford Music Online This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Music reference works, including Grove Music Online, biographies, and encyclopedias
- Digital BodleianOver 1,000 items from the Bodleian’s Chinese maps, manuscripts and printed books collections, acquired since the 17th century.
- RISM Online CatalogA comprehensive annotated index and guide to music manuscripts produced after 1600. The database contains more than 585,559 records by over 20,500 composers and is linked to 3 other databases (Comppser, Library Sigla, and Bibliographic Citations) providing additional information
Print Resources
Manuscripts of polyphonic music, 11th-early 14th century by Call Number: ML113 .I6 ser.B v.4 pt.1ISBN: 9783873280755Publication Date: 1966
Census-Catalogue of Manuscript Sources of Polyphonic Music, 1400-1550 by Call Number: ML135 .C46Publication Date: 1979-1988Compiled in the Musicological Archives for Renaissance Manuscript Studies by Jerry Call, with assistants ; volume I was edited by Charles Hamm with Herbert Kellman ; volumes II-V edited by Herbert Kellman"--V. 5, t.p. verso.
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
The theory of music : descriptive catalogue of manuscripts.Call Number: M113.I6. Ser. B vol 3, pts. 1-6ISBN: 9783873280403Publication Date: 1961-2003Manuscripts of music theory treatises from the Carolingian Era to 1400. Arranged Geographically
Finding Early Editions
RISM (Répertoire International des sources Musicales) is a reliable source for finding early printed music titles, from the 16th to the 18th centuries.
- RISM A/I: Einzeldrucke vor 1800. Printed Music before 1800 (first editions). 9 volumes and 5 volumes of supplements. Arranged alphabetically by composer. Ref Is. M113 .I6 Ser. A v.1. pts. 1-15.
- RISM B/I: Recueils Imprimés XVIe - XVIIe Siecles. First editions of collections between 16th and 17th centuries. Arranged chronologically by year. Ref Is. M113 .I6 Ser. B v.1. Years 1500-1550 are available online at the above link.
- RISM B/II: Recueils Imprimés XVIIIe Siecle. First editions of collections in the 18th century. Arranged alphabetically by collection title. Ref Is. M113 .I6 Ser. B v.1.
Early Editions at UW
William Crawford Collection Catalog
The Crawford Collection catalog of rare musical scores, held within UW's Special Collection. For more information see:
- The Catalog Listings for Scores in Crawford Collection (including call numbers)
- Finding aid for archival collection (held at Special Collections)
- Contact Special Collections for more information and to view scores
Music Manuscripts at UW
The UW houses several collections of music manuscripts, including the University of Washington Digital Score Collection which contains manuscripts from 1600-1850.
- University of Washington Digital Score CollectionIncludes scans of rare books and manuscripts held at the University of Washington Music Library
In order to find manuscripts after 1850 in the UW catalog, you may need to reference a thematic catalog, such as the one listed below. More information on Thematic catalogs can be found here.
US Su, the University of Washington, Seattle, Music Library : thematic catalogue of music in manuscript.Call Number: ML113 .I6 ser.A/II pt.US SuPublication Date: 1993
Additional Sources to Find Manuscripts
- Archivio Storio Ricordi - Collezione DigitalePublishing house Ricordi's digital archive. Includes score manuscripts, letters, images/photographs, and magazines/publications
(In Italian) - Digital Resources for MusicologyThis project includes several digitized music manuscripts
- Library of Congress Historic Sheet Music Collection, 1800-1922This sheet music collection consists of approximately 9,000 items published from 1800 to 1922, although the majority is from 1850 to 1920 [view finding aid for the collection]. The bulk was published in many different cities in the United States, but some of the items bear European imprints. Most of the music is written for voice and piano; a significant minority is instrumental.
- Silent Film Scores and ArrangementsScores and Arrangements digital collection offers unique insight into the development of music and scores in film. The collection includes over 3,000 items published or created for use in silent film accompaniment between 1904 - 1927. These items include scores written for specific films, cue sheets that compile melodies for use at certain moments in specific films.
- The Moldenhauer Archives"The Moldenhauer Archives at the Library of Congress contain approximately 3,500 items documenting the history of Western music from the medieval period through the modern era and is the richest composite gift of musical documents ever received by the Library"
- Newberry LibraryThe Newberry collects manuscript and printed source materials for western European music from the late Middle Ages into the early twentieth century and for American music from the seventeenth to the mid-twentieth century. There are also strong holdings for musical life in Chicago, from the mid-nineteenth through the twentieth century.